Electric-light system



(No Model.)

W. M. SGHLESINGER.

ELECTRIC LIGHT SYSTEM.

No. 341,059. Patented May 4, 1886.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR/ A T TOR/VB Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM M. SCHLESINGER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC-LIGHT SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,059, dated May 4, 1886.

Application filed September 19, 1885.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, XVILLIAM M. SoHLEs- ING ER, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Light Systems, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accon'ipanying drawing, which is a diagrammatic view showing a line of conductors, a loop or lamp-circuit, and circuitconncctions and electrical appurtenances embodying my invention.

My invention has relation, principally, to systems ol'ci rcuit-con nections for electricli ghts or lamps, and particularly to the lamps of an electric car the current for which is supplied from line-conductors in the well-known manner; and it has for its object to maintain a uniform resistance in the lampeircuit at all times while the lamps are in circuit with the line conductors or while they are burning, irrerespective of the breakage or non-illuinination of one or more of the lamps.

My invention accordingly consists of the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, having reference particularly to a lamp-circuit having a or a number of resistances each of which is equal to that of one of the lamps, a manually-operated switch-lever or circuitcloser, and a shunt-circuit therefrom having a resistance equal to the combined or whole resistance of the litllllycllclllll and electro-mag netic circuit breaker and closer, whereby a path of constant or same resistance, either through thelamp-circuit or its shunt-circuit, is at all times obtained or the current supplied to the lamps or to their circuit, to prevent undue deterioration of same by an accidental diminution of resistance in said lamp-circuit by reason of breakage of lamps or other causes.

In the drawing, A A represent a line of conductors, and 13 its generator for a line of railway or other purposes, preferably the former.

0 represents a car or other lamp circuit, the outer ends of eachlamp 0 being connected to parallel or a pair of conducting strips or contacts, 0, preferably radially arranged about the center (1 of a lever, D, made of a non-conducting material. These strips 0 c are elec- Serial No. 177,542. (No model.)

trically connected to each other by wires or other conductors 1, and to the line'wires A by connections 2 2 and traveling brushes or contacts 3 3, respectively, as shown, and all the said parts comprising the lampcircuit are, it will be observed, in series relation therewith. In the lamp-circuit O are also placed one or more pairs of other conducting-strips, ee, similar to c c, and to eachpair of these strips 0 is connected a resistance, E, which may be a lamp or any other resistance equal to that of any one lamp in circuit C, and to one of these strips 0 is preferably connected one end of the circuit-connection 2, as shown, so that when the plate (1 upon lever D is moved to bridge or connect the strips 6 e, the resistance E is short-circuited, but when said plate is upon any one of the pairs of strips 0 c the lamp connected to said strips is cut out of the lampcircuit, and the resistance E is then in such circuit.

Between wires 2 and 2 is ashnnt-circnit, F, in which is a resistance, f, either of a lamp or other desirable form, a screw, f, and an armature, f with retractile spring f controlled by an electro-maguet, G, in the lamp-circuit connection 2'.

The resistance fin shunt F is equal to that of the entire resistance both of all the lamps and resistances E in lamp circuit 0.

As long as all the lamps burn the current flowing to and through circuit C by way of wires 2 2 causes magnet G to attract armature f to break the shunt-circuit F. Should one of the lamps break or cease to burn, the current through the lever-strip d or through the lamp-circuit is broken, and all the lamps are instantly extinguished but when this occurs the spring f 3 retracts armature f to make contact with screw f to close or complete the shunt-circuit F to light the lamp f, if it be used as the resistance therein, after which the lever D is turned until its plate d short-circuits or bridges the strips 0 c of the broken lamp, thereby again closing the circuit 0 through the lamps, which circuit now includes the resistance E, which, being equal to that of the lamp cut out, the resistance of the circuit 0 remains the same as before.

As the circuit C is closed, as just described, the electromaguet G attracts armature f to open the shunt F, after which the broken lamp is replaced and lever D is then turned back until its strip d engages or contacts with strips 6 e and short-circuits resistance E.

The foregoing arrangement, it will be noted, provides two paths of equal resistance for the light or lamp current, so that in case of accidents to the lamps they are readily and easily replaced and undue deterioration of the unbroken lamps prevented.

As many of the resistances E as desired may be placed in circuit C, and for every such re sistance an additional lever, D, or branches thereof must be used, in order that when two or more lamps break they can be cut out and resistances equal thereto placed in the circuit.

In some cases the shunt-circuit F and the magnetic devices G may be dispensed with, and hence I do not confine myself to the use of the same in connection with the lamp-circuit.

While I have shown and described the lamps O and resistances E arranged radially about pivoted lever D, yet I do not confine myself thereto, as the lamps and resistances may be variously arranged and any suitable form of lever D used.

What I claim is- 1. In combination with a light or lamp circuit, the ends of the lamps of which are connected to pairs of conducting strips or electrodes in series with the lamp-circuit, a pair of like strips including or havinga resistance equal to the resistance of any one of the lamps on the light-circuit and in series with the latter, a lever having a conductor-bridge adapted to said strips, aline-circuit having connections with the lamp-circuit, and a shunt-circuit in said line or its connections having a resistance equal to that of the entire lightcircuit, and a circuit breaker and closer controlled by a magnet in the line-circuit or its connections, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of pivoted lever D, having conductor-bridge (1, strips 6 0, having resistance E, strips 0 c, all of said strips being radially arranged about the center of said lever D and in series with one another to form a light or lamp circuit, and circuit-connections from the lamp-circuit to lineor main conductors, substantially as shown and described.

3. In combination with a main line or conductors, a loop having a lamp-circuit including a resistance equal to that of any one of the lamps in said lamp-circuit, a lever for placing said resistance and any one of the lamps into and cutting them out of the lampcircuit, a shunt-circuit in said loop having a resistance equal to that of the combined resistance of the lamp-circuit, and a circuit breaker and closer in said shunt, substantially as shown and described.

4. An electric-circuithavingin series therewith pairs of electrodes or contact-strips suitably arranged, translating devices connected to part of said pairs of contacts, resistances equal to that of any one of the translating devices connected to the remaining said pairs of contacts,.and a lever having a contact-piece for bridging any one of said pairs of strips, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM M. SCHLESINGER.

\Vitnesses:

S. J. VAN STAVOREN, I CHAS. F. VAN HORN. 

